Neville's Task
by Anna Bastos
Summary: Post-Hogwarts! Neville tries to imagine his future in the first day of a new school year in Hogwarts.


**Notes: **Thanks to V for a much needed beta! Story written for the Neville Gen Fest 2011.

**Neville's Task**

Neville's mentor, Professor Pomona Sprout, used to say that the first day of the school year was supposed to be a small preview of what was to come in Hogwarts, a little hint of the future. Because of that, he would always remember her laughter while looking at the first-year students' faces in awe as the hat sang his melody so known to all others.

That was his twelfth year without Professor Pomona Sprout, and his first on a new headmaster's side. Little by little, the Hogwarts he saw in his own first day away from his grandmother gave way to the future part of which he himself would not be.

The Houses cheered while the little babies nervously walked to their new friends. The professors looked a little bored. The new headmaster was obviously nervous to fill Professor McGonagall's successor's shoes. Neville heard Professor Sprout's laughter; saw Harry Potter cast a suspicious look over the Slytherins' table… The only things perceptible to his senses that one could say to be really there were Hogwarts' ghosts.

While leaving by the end of the dinner, some of his students came to greet him after a long vacation. One of them was to graduate that year and wanted to be an auror, as Neville himself was for some time. And that student would, unless anything drastically changed, which was not to happen.

The wizard world was too peaceful for drastic changes. And Neville used to think he liked that but as he went to his room in Hogwarts, he knew that was something only his past self believed. Right now, he would dream of an unexpected event taking place during that night to revolute his boring life.

He was good at teaching just like he had never been at anything in his life, he could teach and make students not only interested but learn what was said during classes. Therefore, teaching was not a challenge but part of routine. Boring.

Neville could always go back to the Ministry of Magic, of course. However, even Ron Weasley had openly complained several nights that all they did was follow the coordinates. Different places but the same ending. Boring.

Hogwarts Herbology Professor had also considered being depressed. He talked once with his good friend Hermione Granger, whom he would always call by that family name, about that possibility but he felt it just did not fit as a diagnosis. Depression only sounded like an excuse to fool himself and buy some more time.

During his first lesson with the first years, Neville heard again the same request every class asked him and he smiled with unhidden satisfaction as he granted it. Dumbledore's Army coin, it was a fake galleon on which Hermione had placed a charm so each member would know the date and time of the next secret meeting. The faces of each student would glow at its appearance, for it was Neville's badge of honor, last used in the Battle of Hogwarts.

"It looks like a normal coin," said one small boy from Hufflepuff.

"I think I would end up using it to buy something…" agreed a brunette girl with a frown on her forehead.

Neville looked down to his treasure with a beam. He had heard those sentences before, so even the smile felt fake on his cheeks. Even the smile. But not the coin.

Lifting an eyebrow, Neville put the coin back to its usual place and resumed class before the freshmen noticed his confusion.

He spent the rest of the class thinking of it. After his work was over for the day, he went searching everywhere in Hogwarts until he reached the Room of Requirement inside which he found a very blond freshman, the small boy who was first to point out his coin was a real galleon.

"You!" said Neville with an acute, failing voice, for not deciding which tone to use.

"Mum said you should go visit her in her office." And the boy handed him back the real fake galleon, leaving the room as if he floated away.

There was a new date and time printed on it.

* * *

Neville thought Luna Lovegood was one of those who did not have children, thus, even though the little boy was just like his mother, he would had never suspected until it was right on his face. Especially for he had never memorized her husband's family name. Lovegood would always be Lovegood to him. And, for other reason, everyone's sons and daughters were already happily working, happy because they did not know how much more exciting life could be. Even so, Luna's only son was only now in his freshman year.

"I have a job for you in Africa", said the woman with colorful earrings showing through her long blond hair.

"You could had owled to call me…" commented Neville looking around her office/house. The husband definitely did not have any say on the furniture.

"I need you to evaluate some plants my sources have said to have changed their usual properties due to a bunch of…" Luna's voice was filtered from Neville's ears. He knew she was about to make a speech about some mythical creature that was supposedly sought on that region of Africa.

Nonetheless, Neville smiled as he asked for more practical details of his new job, like how many words would his articles have and if the Quibbler had tended for a place for him to stay during the investigation.

In his first day as The Quibbler's correspondent, Neville could not make use of his mentor's technique to have a glance at his nearby future anymore. It now depended on Luna's sources. Which was quite exciting, actually.

The End!

* * *

**Author Notes:**

_This was not my quickest fic, nor the less plotted one but whoah. I still need to apologize for the randomness. I know this was made for Neville and Hermione's community and still Neville rather "chooses" Luna. For that reason, I decided to emphasize she is married, there is nothing but a middle-age crisis here, okay?_


End file.
